North American Birds Eggs. 



15 



19. Whiskered Auklet. Siinoiiii/iichii^^ pi/nnuwus. 



Range. — The Alaskan Coast. 



Much smaller than the preceding; but 7.5 in. in length. Breast gray, belly 

 white; a small tuft of recurved feathers on the forehead and slender white plumes 

 from base of bill over the eye and from under the eye, backwards. The bill in 

 summer is a Itright vermilion color. On some of the islands of the Aleutian 

 chain they breed quite abundantly. The nests are placed back in the crevices 

 of the rocks, where the single white eggs are laid. Size 2.(K)xl.2r). 



■>v. 



20. Least Auklet. SiinorhijiirhKs iit(>iillt(s. 



Range. — North Pacific on the islands and coast 

 of Alaska. This is the smallest of the Auklets; 

 length 6.5 in. This species has no crest, but has 

 the slender white plumes extending back from the 



eye. The entire under parts are white sparsely I 



spotted with dusky. This species is by far the ,• / 



most abundant of the water birds of the extreme 

 Northwest, and thousands of them, accompanied 

 by the two preceding species, nest on the rocky 

 cliffs of the islands of Bering Sea. Their 



nesting habits are the same as those of the , White. j 



other Auklets, they placing their single white egg on the bare rocks, in crevices 

 on the cliffs. Size 1.55 x 1.10. Data. — Pribilof Is., Alaska, June 8, 1897. Single 

 egg laid in crevice. Thousands breeding on the island. Collector, \V. Macoun. 



\ / 



21. Ancient Murrelet. Si/iiflilihoi'n iii iJi iis n nfitjii us. 



Range. — Pari tic ( 



■V 





> 



ast, breeding from the i)order of the Ignited States, north- 

 ward, and wintering south to south- 

 ern California. 



The IMurrelets have no crests or 

 plumes and the bills are more slender 

 than the Auklets and are not highly 

 colored. The ancient ^lurrelet or 

 Black-throated Murrelet, as it is also 

 called, has a gray back, white under 

 parts and a black head and throat, 

 with a broad white stripe l>ack of 

 the eye and another formed by the 

 white on the breast extending up on 

 the side <jf the neck. They lireed 

 abundantly on the islands in Bering 

 Sea, laying one or two eggs at the 



♦, * 



>)l/,e _.-I\_».\i.-tl'. iycllcl. OtHiilJS. l.-MtllUl.Ti, 



under a tuft of grass and in a slight exca 

 C. L. Littlejohn. 



